fertile

[fur-tl, -tahyl]

adjective

1. bearing, producing, or capable of producing vegetation, crops, etc., abundantly; prolific.

   fertile soil.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund
   Antonyms: barren, sterile

2. bearing or capable of bearing offspring.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund
   Antonyms: barren, sterile

3. abundantly productive.

   a fertile imagination.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund
   Antonyms: barren, sterile

4. producing an abundance (usually followed by of orin ).

   a land fertile of wheat.

5. conducive to productiveness.

   fertile showers.

6. Biology.

   1. fertilized, as an egg or ovum; fecundated.

   2. capable of growth or development, as seeds or eggs.

7. Botany.

   1. capable of producing sexual reproductive structures.

   2. capable of causing fertilization, as an anther with fully developed pollen.

   3. having spore-bearing organs, as a frond.

8. Physics.,  (of a nuclide) capable of being transmuted into a fissile nuclide by irradiation with neutrons.

   Uranium 238 and thorium 232 are fertile nuclides.

9. produced in abundance.

fertile

/ ˈfɜːtaɪl /

adjective

1. capable of producing offspring

2. 1. (of land) having nutrients capable of sustaining an abundant growth of plants

   2. (of farm animals) capable of breeding stock

3. biology

   1. capable of undergoing growth and development

      fertile seeds

      fertile eggs

   2. (of plants) capable of producing gametes, spores, seeds, or fruits

4. producing many offspring; prolific

5. highly productive; rich; abundant

   a fertile brain

6. physics (of a substance) able to be transformed into fissile or fissionable material, esp in a nuclear reactor

7. conducive to productiveness

   fertile rain

fertile

1. Capable of producing offspring, seeds, or fruit.

2. Capable of developing into a complete organism; fertilized.

3. Capable of supporting plant life; favorable to the growth of crops and plants.

Other Word Forms

• fertileness noun
• fertilely adverb
• half-fertile adjective
• half-fertilely adverb
• half-fertileness noun
• nonfertile adjective
• overfertile adjective
• prefertile adjective
• unfertile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertile¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin fertilis “fruitful,” akin to ferre “to bear”; bear ¹, -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertile¹

C15: from Latin fertilis , from ferre to bear

Synonym Study

See productive.

Example Sentences

Although wolves and dogs still share territory and are capable of producing fertile offspring, actual hybridization between them is unusual.

Read more on Science Daily

One stall sold slices of mangoes brought in from Jazan, the fertile southern province famous for its tropical fruits, wheat and coffee; others sold raisins, spices, nuts and gourmet honey from Yemen.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

To the northwest of Kinshasa, a pilot farm supported by the World Food Programme is working to transform sand into fertile land.

Read more on Barron's

Hopefully the steady gig and the fertile scene in Philadelphia will enable Mr. Taylor to keep developing the potential shown on “Smoke Shifter.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Grief creates fertile ground for something new to grow.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• abundant 
• arable 
• fruitful 
• lush 
• productive 
• rich